A Different Kind Of Demon
by DovahKaaz
Summary: A different kind of battle, but still the same. A different kind of torture, but still so familiar. You can be in pain, and relish it at the same time. Vampire!Soul SoxMa
1. Prologue - Beast

Hi guys~ Welp, I abandoned my Naruto fanfic to write this! I like this better. Anyways, as usual. I'm a new author, I'm new to writing. BE FUCKING BRUTALLY HONEST IN YOUR REVIEWS. THANK YOU. This _is_ practice for me, so I need to know what I'm doing wrong~

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**Prologue**

A mad cackling sounded, and Maka turned around, Soul clutched tightly in her hands. Her wide, green eyes flickered to every shadow, every hiding place. She whipped her head around again, when she felt a breeze pass by her, Soul voicing his alarm.

"Maka, whatever this thing is, it isn't for one-star meisters and weapons."

Maka glared at the shining blade in her grip and growled at it. "We can take it, I know we can." Her voice echoed in the dark alley, shadows wiggling out at them before Maka brought Soul down to point at them threateningly. The mad giggling sang out into the air again. The mad, dark chuckles raising every hair on Maka's spine and causing a deep, primal fear to settle in her chest.

"Mak-"

"Soul, look!"

Maka finally saw it. This beast that had lured them and taunted them. Long, dark, stringy hair fell down to its shoulders. Vibrant red eyes shone at them with madness, mirth, and bloodlust. Pale, un blemished skin stretched tight over high cheekbones and an elegant face. Well, it would be elegant if not for the mouth full of sharp fangs, that put even Soul's to shame, leering at them.

Maka's eyes widened again. Was this even a pre-kishin? It was, for all intents and purposes, acting like one, but something felt… wrong. Maka just couldn't quite put her finger on it.

The creature tilted its head to the left, bones cracking and popping until the dark-haired head practically rested on the man's shoulder. "Hehe, what do we have here? What kind of meal did I catch today?" The beast laughed again, grinning at the girl and her weapon, flashing his fangs.

"Maka…"

"Yeah, Soul, I think you're right…"

The monster frowned at their hesitation to attack. Wasn't it normal human intuition to flip out on what was frightening them? He pouted. "Oh, you're not going to play with me?" Maka's heart beat even faster, and this the fanged monster could hear. He licked his lips. "Well, I guess I'll just have to play with _you…_"

The monster leapt towards them so suddenly Maka barely had time to block. Long, dark claws, clacked and screeched against Soul, trying to tear into the metal. "Hehe, haha, oh, this will be so much fun…" The monster lunged towards Maka's neck, just missing and teeth coming to an audible snap as his jaws met.

"Clever girl," the monster stopped and applauded her, before launching into a fit of maniacal laughter. His sides heaved and a dark coat fluttered around him, shadows pooling off of him. "But, I'm afraid, play time is almost over, and I'm _hungry…_" The vampire closed his eyes briefly, before opening them to reveal black schlera and red iris. "And, you, my dear, look so delectable, I might just have to take a bite…"

Maka choked, and Soul growled.

"Maka…"

"Soul…"

**"Soul resonance!"**

"Witch hunter!"

Maka brought the blade back, feeling the hum of the wavelengths. No, wave length, only one. Her wavelength and Soul's mixed together and amplified, creating a symphony of power. The crescent shape swung back with deceptive ease.

"Your soul is mine!" Maka cried, and swung Soul out to meet the smirking black-haired devil.

"I'm sorry, but it appears you are mistaken," a slimy voice whispered in her ear. Maka stiffened, and Soul growled again, his irate reflection appearing in the blade. The crimson-eyed fiend had moved so fast, so fast that Black*Star would have been wailing at the unfairness of it all.

"You…" Soul began.

"Hush. But it is in fact, your Soul, that is _mine_."

Again, faster than she could see, the vampire moved and grabbed Soul, flinging the weapon away from his meister. Soul shouted in shock, before becoming human and running towards Maka. _No, Soul… wait, that's just what he wants! _"Soul, stay away, that's just what he wants you to do!" Maka began to struggle, but the vampire just held her hands behind her back with one hand and tilted her head with the other. "He's after you, not me!"

The vampire looked at Maka. "Clever girl… yes, weapon blood is easily the best. High amounts of magic that are second only to witches and gods." His breath ghosted over her ear again, ruffling stray hairs and making her shiver. "And I will make you watch as he dies." The vampire smirked before backhanding her into the side of the alley, and then pounced on Soul.

Soul's eyes widened, and he scrambled back, away from the fiend. Still, the vampire managed to hit his target, and flattened the white-haired boy into the cobblestone. He leaned over Soul, knees on either side of him, hands holding Soul's down to the ground. The vampire smirked again, and focused his red eyes on the boy's neck, just below the jaw. He could see, see just barely, a small throb. Holding Soul's hands with just one hand now, the vampire shoved Soul's head away, and leaned in. Soul's breath hitched and he struggled even more now, legs flailing in an attempt to extract him from the death grip.

The vampire just smiled and bared his fangs, that sharp, precise instruments hovering right over the pulse point, his warm breath billowing out onto Soul's neck, raising goose bumps.

Maka groaned, and shifted under the weight of the bricks. Slowly, she rose and poked her head out from under the stone. She rubbed her jaw. She'd been lucky that her neck hadn't snapped from the force of that blow. Warily, she looked around for her foe and her partner.

Her eyes readjusted to the gloom, and she heard slurping. Maka's gasped as the realization of what was happening dawned on her. Soul!

Desperately, she looked for a weapon. Anything, a crowbar, a piece of debris she could lift, anything… Suddenly, her eyes caught a glint of metal. Sore, aching, and desperate, she crawled towards it. Her fingers fumbled around, touching rock and brick, and then the metal. Grunting with the effort of even such a little effort, Maka wrenched the shiny metal from under some brick.

A gun, She'd found a gun, a pistol to be precise. She almost felt tears well up in relief. Shaking, with trembling hands, she checked for a bullet.

One.

One bullet.

One shot to save Soul.

Maka closed her eyes, praying to Shinigami-sama, even though she knew he wouldn't hear. She prayed for just one ounce of Kid's skill, just this one time. Maka blinked, aimed the gun, re-aimed, licked her lips, aimed, and then…

Pulled the trigger.

A shot roared out into the air, nearly deafening Maka, and was followed by the sound of a body falling.


	2. Chapter 1- Unknown

I don't particularly like this chapter, but it's set-up, so...

Well, the next chapter will be very... eventful... ;)

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Maka fell forward, the gun clattering down on the cobbles. Her hair fell around her in a blonde halo. Her eyes flickered open and closed, fighting for the former. She knotted her brow and grit her teeth.

Soul...

Maka sat up shakily and coughed, a spatter of blood droplets spraying out from her mouth. The meister stared, bleary-eyed, at the red on the ground and herself. Emerald eyes closed, despairing, and then flickered open, resolute.

Soul...

Maka glanced over to where Soul and the dead vampire lay. The dark beast lay on its side, crushing her white-haired partner. A trickle of blood, both the beast's and Soul's, trickled from his lips, falling down to meet the two precise puncture wounds underneath Soul's jaw. The vampire's blood was much darker, Maka noted, seemingly black against the shockingly bright color of Soul's blood. Maka braced herself on the ground, and then rose, legs shaking like a newborn calf's.

Soul...

Maka gasped in a breath of air against the pain that licked at her with tongues of fire, threatening to pull her down. No, Maka thought, I will not fall. She took slow, trembling steps, every hesitation biting at her, knowing that every second was now crucial to her partner.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

Four steps.

She'd done it, breached what seemed like a mile. Maka held her sides and coughed again, more blood coming out. She wiped her mouth with a gloved hand, inspecting the bright red of her blood against the pure white, virgin, fabric. Tearing her eyes from the sight of her own blood, she fell to her knees beside the barely breathing Soul and the dead vampire.

Grunting with the effort, Maka shoved the dark beast off of her partner's chest. Soul's eyes flickered open, his bright vermillion eyes adding to the macabre painting of red on and around him.

"Soul?" Maka whispered. Her partner groaned just slightly, but enough to let her know that he was there. Maka could feel her eyes burning, hot tears rising until a crystalline droplet fell down her face onto Soul's.

Soul coughed, and his eyes flickered open again. "Maka," he said, so lightly that if she hadn't seen his lips move, she would have thought it to be wind. "Maka," Soul whined. "It burns."

"What burns?" She choked out, gently lifting him to her lap. His yellow jacket was painted with streaks of his blood, Maka's blood, and the vampire's. Soul gasped in a breath.

"The bite."

Maka gently tilted his head, aware of Soul's own wounds. The deep punctures had stopped bleeding, but his veins and arteries were almost black, his circulatory system spiderwebbing with black paths. Maka watched as the black threads spread, and hesitantly reached out a hand to stroke Soul's head.

"H-how'd you kill him?" Soul asked

Maka glanced over to where the gun had fallen. "I shot him with..." she trailed off as she noticed that the gun was no longer there. Her green eyes, tinged red from tears, skimmed over the area. "I shot him with a gun, but I don't know where the gun went..." Maka gently stroked Soul's hair.

Soul gasped in a violent, ragged breath, and Maka snapped her attention down to him. "Soul!" she cried. Her partner didn't answer. Sweat began to bead on his forehead, and his breathing became shallow. HIs breaths were disturbingly light and Maka became increasingly aware that these could be his final moments. Hot tears resumed their trek down her face.

"I'll stay with you until the end," she wheezed, her abused ribs hurting even more from the tightness in her chest. "That's just the person I am." Maka smiled, and lowered her head down to meet Soul's.

Soul's breath became almost nonexistent, and then stopped.

Still, Maka remained with him. Somehow, she believed that if she stayed, he would come back. Her sarcastic, lazy, idiotic, cool, steadfast partner would come back to her.

Her Soul.

Maka hugged her weapon, and finally let those emotions out.

A wail of grief echoed in the alley, scaring filthy rodents and a stray cat, and sending them scurrying away. Maka clutched her partner, her face red, and tears soaking his still chest. Her small, damaged body shook with sobs and cries of agony and grief. Soul... She wailed her grief to the betraying heavens for what seemed like ages.

Maka slowed in her crying eventually, after her throat had become raw and eyes sore. She wiped her face and nose, and looked at the sky. The mocking moon sat high in its home, the bloody grin reminding Maka of all those late night missions.

Blair.

Crona.

She'd met them, with Soul, on nights such as these. Night that elsewhere, people were laughing. People that had not just lost their best friend.

Maka glared at the moon, and then lowered her head to Soul's chest.

She wished, oh how she wished, to hear a strong, heavy beat.

Da-dump. Da-dump. Da-dump.

Yeah, that's what she wanted to...

hear?

Maka snapped her head up and looked at her partner. HIs normally tan skin held all the paleness of death, but still, if she felt his chest...

Da-dump. Da-dump. Da-dump.

It was no lie, Soul's heart beat again.

Maka looked at her partner, observed as his flesh regained color, watched as her took a deep breath and opened beautiful, lazy, vermillion eyes.

"M-aka" Soul's voice broke, but it was him.

"Soul!" Maka reached out a hand and touched his face. Warmth, returning to a cold body. "You're alive!"

"Yeah, somehow," Soul sat up and winced, "and sore as hell."

Maka laughed. That was Soul alright. Suddenly, she glared at him, and Soul backed away warily, cautious of some kind of righteous fury.

"You baka! I don't believe you! We deal with these things on a daily basis, and you go and get yourself fucking killed! HOW IN HELL ARE YOU ALIVE!? I was so fucking worried! I thought you were dead! Do you have any shinigami-damned idea? No, of course not, because you were fucking dead, you motherfucking-"

Maka's rant was stopped midway by Soul clamping a hand over her mouth. "Shut up," he hissed, voice low and barely audible. Maka's eyes widened, and took on a steely look. "Before you kill me again, you might want to listen." Soul growled.

Maka glared at him, but did as he said. Quieting down, she listened.

And heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps.

Frightened, she glanced at Soul. They were in no condition to fight if that was an enemy! Soul nodded at the unspoken message, and then got up with a grimace. Maka also stood shakily up, and grabbed an offered hand. Carefully, painfully, they made their way out of the alley. Every step was a mile, every stumble another death, but slowly, quietly, they turned into the street just as they heard a shriek behind them.

Maka looked at Soul, who was supporting more of her weight by the second, and opened her mouth, ready to say something. Soul looked funny, he was beginning to get blurry, and the red of his eyes, the whiteness of his hair... Maka squeaked before her vision became black.


	3. Chapter 2- Wait

Yay, more chapters! Please review this story. Again, you can tear me goddamn apart, as long as it's constructive. I REALLY need some critique guys, I write fanfiction for a reason. Practice.

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Soul sat slumped in the waiting chair. Quite honestly, if anxious, worried people were going to sit in these chairs, couldn't they buy ones with half-decent cushions? His ass felt like he was sitting on a piece of rock.

Ah, but complaining about how uncomfortable his ass is was but a distraction.

No, the real problem was time.

He glanced towards the clock again; it was only three minutes past from when he'd last looked. Maka... The white-haired weapon cast a baleful look around the waiting room. There were only two other people in the hospital's waiting room. The one on his right was an elderly man who was missing all of his hair and most of his teeth. He kept fiddling with a wristwatch on his left arm.

The person to his left was a middle-aged woman with bleached blonde hair and caked on makeup. She had her eyes closed with her fingers playing with a golden cross around her neck. Her lips moved just slightly, muttering prayers under her breath.

Soul shifted in his seat. He'd been here for hours, the man had been here before him, and the woman had come in about halfway through. Now they were just sitting here.

Waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting...

Hoping for some kind of news about their loved ones.

The white painted walls of the room were so boring, nothing to look at, nothing to spark his mind, other than Maka's deathly pale face after she'd fainted and he'd carried her here. The sullen nurse behind the glass check-in panel did nothing to help either. Occasionally, she would look at the old man and gently shake her head. More often, though, the brunette nurse would look at the woman and roll her eyes.

Soul hadn't caught her looking at him yet.

The pale, pine door swung open, and everyone straightened. A petite ginger nurse peeked out from the door, freckles dotting her face and green eyes that reminded Soul painfully of Maka's.

"Mr. Evans? Um... Soul Eater Evans? Your friend Maka has woken up."

Soul jumped up and walked briskly to the door, noting the old man's brief smile at his relief, as well as the woman's death-glare at his name. Passing the pine door, he stepped into a sterile, white hall, with the nurse just behind him. She closed the door and walked in front of him.

"This way, sir," she said, smoothing out her scrubs and gesturing for him to follow her down the ER wing. She led him down the hall, passed stricken women holding young children's hands, passed old men and women sitting outside of rooms, staring resolutely forward. They passed men crying, punching the walls, passed joyful new parents holding newborns, and they passed pacing family and friends.

Finally, the nurse led him to a door that remained closed. She smiled at him and Soul relaxed. It wasn't a sad smile, it was one that seemed genuinely happy for him. "Right in here," the nurse said. "She just woke up, and then asked for you immediately." she paused, as if debating over something. "Whatever her wounds were, they seemed to have healed at a miraculous rate. The doctor will probably tell you more, though." The nurse smiled again and left.

Soul reached out, his steady, pianist hand trembling just slightly, until he grasped the shiny brass doorknob. Slowly, painfully sluggish, he turned the knob and swung the door open.

Maka was sitting up on her bed with exuberant green eyes. She smiled when she saw him, with a happy exclamation of his name. "Soul!" she cried, eyes lighting up. OH, she hadn't liked being away from him after that scare...

Soul walked over to the hospital bed and sat gently on its edge. He's missed her too, and his agitation only aggravated what seemed to a merciless headache.

Maka grinned again and held his hand, her tiny fingers interlocking with his.

"Hey, Maka, how are you feeling?" he asked weakly, before his voice threatened to crack. He could feel water in his eyes and mentally growled. Cool guys do not cry. Cool guys do not cry. Cool guys do not cry...

Maka grinned again. "Pretty good, but I just want to go home. We really need to give a report to Shinigami-sama... He'll want to know about...that."

Soul sighed. Yeah, reports, and then school... "Hey, Maka-"

He was interrupted by the the door abruptly opening and slamming shut. A long shadow reached out from the silhouette. "Hello," the shadow said. "I am Dr. Frinz." The doctor walked over to Maka and gave Soul a chance to get a good look at the man. He was of average height, with an average build. His brown hair was trimmed neatly, none of it fell into his eyes, and he wore thick-rimmed glasses over brown eyes.

Overall, he looked to be a rather average man.

Dr. Frinz held out a hand, Maka grasped it, and hesitantly shook it, and Soul did the same. "I was the doctor for your case. Was, because as our checkups have indicated, you are actually healed. We don't necessarily know why, or how, since when your friend brought you in, you had evidence of severe bruising and even plausible fractures along your ribs." The doctor looked down at his clipboard. "You should be a little sore, and should come and see me again in about a week for a follow-up." DR. Frinz paused again, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, we normally wouldn't ship you out so early, but as a patient who seems to be in good health, we can't really afford to keep you here. Rooms are in pretty high demand right now," Frinz stated grimly, casting a glance at the floor and causing a shadow to obscure his face briefly. "Again, I apologize,"

Maka stood up, leaning on Soul for support. "Ah, it's okay. We're from Shibusen, so any more emergencies can be handled by our staff."

"This was just the closest hospital," Soul added with an inclination of his snowy head.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, that seems to be the issue for most of our cases." He paused in thought. "We've been getting a surplus of trauma patients like you, Ms. Albarn. Right now, this is almost a break. Most of the families waiting are already in the ER wing. However your school works, perhaps you could notify whomever takes care of reports like this."

Soul nodded. "If that is all, are we allowed to go?"

The doctor nodded in turn. "Yes, just take this and check out." He handed Maka a slip of paper declaring that she was free to go. "Give this to the nurse at the check-in desk."

Maka smiled and took the paper gently.

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

Maka rested on her bed, clad in flannel pajamas, staring with unfocused eyes at her book. The black ink of the words and the bright white of the paper seemed to just blend together, creating a grey blur. She'd been staring at the same page for about ten minutes now, unseeing, unmoving, mind in a world of its own.

She kept playing over the events of the battle, her memories in an endless repeat.

That feeling of primal terror when she'd glimpsed the vampire's fangs.

That realization that Soul was the one in danger, not her.

That feeling of helplessness as she was tossed away.

That feeling of triumph as her aim came true.

And most, of all, that feeling of loss when Soul's breath stopped.

Maka shivered. Soul... he was alright, wasn't he? He was the one that had died after all. She felt alone right now.

Unprotected.

She wanted to feel someone beside her, someone that cared.

SHe could go se Soul, he wouldn't say no, would he?

No, he wouldn't, but that would just be so awkward... Hell to that, they'd been through worse! No, the reason that Maka wasn't with Soul right now was that she was scared of rejection. Rejection that wouldn't come, surely, but still, it was there...

But what, Maka wondered, was she scared of being rejected?

Certainly not a plea for comfort.

Certainly not a gesture of friendship.

No, Maka was scared of something more being rejected.

Her eyes widened, and she stirred from her comatose position. Did she... love... Soul?

No, she couldn't, no...

Denial's the first step, Maka...

Yes.

She supposed that she could love Soul. Maka stood up, setting her book down on her nightstand and grabbing her pillow. Quietly, she walked to her door and opened it. She placed a foot outside her doorway, and then, just as quickly, snatched it back in.

No, she couldn't...

Stop it.

Yes, she could.

Taking a deep breath, Maka steeled her nerves. SHe couldn't really be sure that she loved Soul, right? Maybe it was just a post-traumatic ordeal feeling.

But, then again, a little voice whispered to her, maybe it's always been there...

Slowly, Maka made her way down the hall to Soul's room. Step by step, and painfully aware of the soft thuds her footsteps made, Maka walked. Finally, she arrived right outside of the the door. She breathed in, closed her eyes, and opened the door.

Soul sat hunched over his desk inside, his hands fisted in his hair. Maka could only see his back, but she knew something was wrong. There was a stiffness in him that was not his usual posture, not his lazy slouch.

Soul groaned, and grit his teeth together against the blooms of pain hammering in his head. The throbs kept in time with the beating of his heart, and were slowly spreading elsewhere.

His jaw ached. His eyes burned. His throat was dry. Even his shinigami-damned fingers hurt.

"Soul?" Maka asked. Her partner turned towards her with slitted eyes, narrowed against pain. "Soul!" she cried and hurried over to him.

Soul closed his eyes again and sighed. "M-maybe less sh-shouting?" he squeezed out painfully, tightening his muscles in agony. Maka immediately closed her mouth, the words she'd been about to say dying in her throat.

"Yes," she said softly, "of course." She closed the distance between them. "Soul," Maka said quietly, "you should lay down."

"I w-won't exactly arg-gue." Soul's voice cracked as a particularly nasty wave of pain hit him. He gasped and grabbed his head again. "Y-you'll have t-to help me, though," he ground out. Maka wordlessly grabbed his shoulders and helped to pull him up. She slung one of his arms around her shoulders and braced herself for his weight. She took a deep breath and carried him over the four steps to his bed. Carefully, she helped him lay down.

Maka crawled in next to him. He stiffened, but otherwise showed no outward reaction. Gently, Maka lifted his head and place it on her chest. She began to rub small circles down his back with one hand, and the other went to rest in his snowy hair. Soul breathed out a sigh through his nose, and then relaxed.

Maka smiled.

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Aww... cutesy fluffness.

AGain, review, people! It's author-fuel! And the more errors you can fix or see, the better!


	4. Chapter 3- Hunger

Yay, I'm back! With a nice, action-filled chapter to boot!  
This one came along surprisingly fast; I wrote this in only three days.

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Soul stirred in his sleep, a small whine escaping his throat. A pale sheet of moonlight illuminated the flicker of pain the crossed his features. He clenched his fingers, gripping onto the sheets, and he whined again, eyes opening.

_Oh, Death..._ Fireworks exploded in his vision, agonizing, bright illuminations. He sucked in a ragged breath and clenched his teeth. Rolling over onto his side and curling up, his pale, shaking hands clutching his middle. Soul panted. The seconds seem to go on impossibly long, dragging on forever, never wanting their brief time of existence to end. Oh, but he wanted them to end.

Them, and the pain.

His stomach felt like it was caving in on itself, and his chest heaved with short, shallow breaths. His eyes rolled underneath his eyelids, darting back and forth between imaginary demons, and one very real one.

_Oh, Death... _Soul's body felt like it was on fire. Every tiny bit of him burned. The weapon's fevered, agonized mind couldn't even come up with a comparison that would encompass what he felt. Even the cut from Crona, that mind-fracturing agony, didn't come close to what he was feeling. That was sharp pain, slowing to a slightly duller pain. This was constant agony, something he couldn't forget, something that ignited with every heartbeat. He could feel the muscle in his chest beating, but he could also feel the tempo of his pulse playing sick, tormented music in his skull.

Thinking, ha, his thoughts were brief pieces of sanity. Miniscule moments in time where he could remember he was a sentient being, not simply a mass of flesh that knew only agony.

Pain.

Pain.

Pain.

Ah,

_fuck._

Move his arms. Yes. Not hold the stomach. Shelter it. Close eyes. Breathe in. Out. Grit teeth. No. Hurts more. Open mouth. Jaw hurts. Teeth hurt. Pain. More pain. Always more. Shiver. Cold. Move back. Feel warm. Maka. Heat. Pain.

Soul subconsciously leaned closer to his partner. Warmth, ah, the warmth. The heat felt so nice, soaking into him, warming him, soothing at least some of the pain, and somehow, loosening the vise that curled around his stomach, and he could breathe easier. Have you ever thought about just how amazing it feels to breathe? Soul certainly did now, and he couldn't appreciate it more. He felt like a starving man given his first meal in a week. He felt like an impoverished child being given a toy. He felt _amazing_.

It was incredible, and the heat felt so_ good_ that he just melted into it, curling his body closer to his meister's. The vise lifted once more, and while a few dull aches still bit at him, he felt so much better.

Maka's scent comforted him, her blonde-haired form gently rising with the intake of breath. The snowy-haired weapon wiggled closer until his skin pressed against her. He began to breathe a sigh of relief, until he realized what that terrible, hollow pain around his stomach was.

Hunger.

He was hungry. No, not hungry, _starving_. It was so unrecognizable to him. Sure, he'd been hungry often, but never to the point of pain. Ah, but this was pain. Excruciating pain.

Any relief he'd found from Maka dissolved like dew in the morning. A pang of hunger hit him, and he trembled. Breathing shakily, he turned away from his partner.

_In._

_Out._

_In._

_Out._

Soul breathed short, shallow breaths, telling himself that he needed to calm down. Calm. It seemed so out of reach, an impossible goal, with waves of starvation rocking his mind and body. Deeper breaths. Deeper breaths.

_In..._

_…_

_Out..._

_…_

_In...-_

Oh, what was that? Soul's nose twitched. Something smelled good. Not like any food he knew, but certainly edible, and pallatable. He breathed in again, as deep as he could, for more of that delicious scent. Oh~

Soul opened his mouth. He didn't know why, it just felt right. He breathed in and out again. Oh, _oh_. It was so much better with his mouth open. It seemed so much more concentrated, pure. _Sweet Shinigami,_ what he would give to taste that! Soul continued to breathe deeper, feeling the hunger flare bigger in his stomach, igniting a small fire, and his eyes shone with a redder hue. He licked his teeth with his tongue, and his mouth curled up into a grin, his eyes losing that clear, lucid look, being replaced by a glazed, distant look. Shadows fell on his face as he turned to face his partner. Soul knew that the source of that scent was his meister.

Maka lay peacefully curled up, a serene expression on her face with just the faintest ghost of a smile. Her hands were wrapped around each other and held to her chest, and long graceful legs sloped down to the end of his bed. The sheets only just barely covered her waist; the rest of them lay wrinkled around her.

Soul sat up slowly, his movements graceful and precise, a many-fanged grin glinting briefly under the light of the bleeding moon. His eyes never left his partner. They started at her feet, traveling up her slender calves to her muscled thighs, and then from her slim hips to tiny waist. He continued to gaze at her with glazed and hungry eyes. He went from her waist to her chest, to her collarbones, pausing at her neck, to land on her peaceful sleeping face. He stalked towards her, watching her eyes, her eyelashes, and the tiny movements below her eyelids. Soul placed a hand on either side of her, and leaned down.

He placed a gentle, chaste kiss on her forehead and gently caressed her hair. He paused, checking her face for any reaction. Maka's smile only grew a little, but nothing more. Soul leaned down again, leaving a gentle trail of kisses from her forehead to her jawbone. He paused once more, and inspected his partner again. Still no reaction. He placed a hand on her chin, and tilted her head back, pressing a few fingers to her pulse point.

When he felt the strong, steady beat under his fingers, his pupils dilated until just a red ring encircled the black holes that were now his eyes. A string of drool dripped from his lip as another manic grin split his face. He leaned forward, his eyes locking onto that little spot on Maka's skin that moved, if just barely. Soul slipped his tongue out and gave Maka's neck a long, languorous lick. This time, she squirmed underneath him. Soul growled, a low rumbling sound from his chest, and he grabbed his partner's shoulders. Maka's eyes snapped open and she yelped.

"Soul! Wha-...?" She trailed off as her partner licked her skin again, this time his breath billowing out and cooling the wet patch on her skin. She shuddered and goosebumps rose on her neck, traveling down her body.

Soul snarled and straddled her, a knee on either side of her waist and each hand holding an arm to keep her pinned. Maka stared, shocked, at her partner. Something was off about him; he was obviously not in his right mind. His teeth were bared, and Maka noticed with a bit of fear that each of his teeth were longer and sharper; his incisors were very needle-like, as well. His messy white hair obscured one eye, but Maka could clearly see the other. Soul's pupil was massive, and it took up almost his entire iris. The color of his eyes was different, too. Instead of the usual handsome rose red, they now burned with a dangerous fiery crimson.

Soul leaned forward and Maka was torn from her inspection of his appearance, and harshly reminded that she was pinned down with Soul's impressive strength. She wiggled under him, but stopped when Soul rumbled another threatening growl. Her heart beat faster and her breathing became shallow and fast. Soul licked and nibbled her throat again, and she remembered back to the thing that had attacked them.

Did Soul... was Soul...?

Maka's breath hitched in her throat as Soul rested those very sharp, very dangerous, teeth on her neck. Her heart skipped a beat and her chest rose and fell rapidly. Her green eyes dropped to the boy at her throat, whose chest rumbled a contented purr. She wiggled one of her hands, hoping that if she could just free it...

"So-UL!"

Maka's voice rose an octave as her weapon tore into her veins. His fangs broke through the skin so suddenly, and Maka gasped. It hurt, oh, Death, it hurt! Her back arched up into his embrace, and he circled an arm underneath her to keep her there. Soul's teeth moved out of the punctures they'd made, and Maka's neck felt unnaturally warm.

Soul's mouth latched onto the wound and he sucked, pulling the delicious blood out of Maka's veins. He held her close and cradled her head in the hand that wasn't holding her up. Oh, Death, he felt better, much better. The pain that had gripped so tightly in its hands reluctantly released its grip with every swallow of his partner's crimson lifeblood.

Maka gasped again, her mouth opening and closing. Along with the fire in her veins, a pleasurable feeling began to radiate out from the bite. Dark arms of bliss held her close, and she moaned, throwing her head back.

Soul's suckling slowed when he heard his partner's moan. It wasn't a sound or complaint of pain. No, it was an erotic sound of pleasure. One that made his sense of self return a little. Oh, of course he'd wanted to hear her moan like that for a long time. But it had to be his doing.

_Him._

_Soul Eater Evans._

_Demon Scythe._

_Weapon to Maka Albarn._

_Student at Shibusen Academy._

_Friend of Black*Star._

_Friend of Death the Kid, Liz, Patti, and Tsubaki._

_Bane of Spirit Albarn._

Soul's eyes widened. He slowly leaned up, a trickle of blood dribbling down his chin. Maka's face and neck were flushed. Her green eyes were half-lidded, and she gazed out into space. Her mouth was just slightly parted; a breathy gasp escaping her lips. His frightened gaze dropped down to the wound he'd made. A lazy stream of crimson leaked down the side of Maka's neck.

Maka whined and looked at Soul. Where had that delicious, addictive, pleasure gone? She reached up a pale hand and gently stroked his hair, pushing him towards her neck. More, she wanted more. She panted and stretched out her neck, inviting him in.

The weapon blinked at his partner. Oh shit. Oh shit. _Ohshitohshitohshitohshit!_ She was bleeding! _Heavily!_ Soul's mind reeled, searching for how to stop the bleeding, even as his body leaned forward on autopilot. He instinctively licked Maka's twin punctures, coating the area with his saliva. He gently cleared away the streams of cooling blood down her neck and chest, and watched, mesmerized, as her wounds healed. Her eyes flickered open and closed, adjusting on his worried, bloodstained form.

"Soul?" she asked weakly. "W-what was t-that?" she panted and raised a hand to her forehead. Soul gently rested her on the bed. "D-did you bite me?" she breathed, "Like that thing in the alley?"

Soul promptly got off of his meister and to his own respected space. "Y-yeah," he replied in a shaky tone. "I-I don't really remember why, though. I just remember being in a lot of pain and realizing that I was just really hungry."

"So you bit me?" Maka deadpanned, shooting him a glare.

Soul swallowed, tasting the traces of her blood and bit back a moan. Death, it was delicious. "I don't really know what came over me," he admitted, looking her in the eyes, "I think it was some kind of instinct. I kinda went on autopilot."

Maka huffed and looked away. She needed time to think. "Well, can you go get me some food at least? If you're going to snack on me, you better provide refreshments," she said, trying to make a weak joke. She shifted around, pulling the sheets up to her neck. "I would Maka-Chop you, but I can't reach any books." Her face took on a steely look. "But, that doesn't mean I won't chop your ass to hell later."

Soul smiled, accidentally displaying his new fangs.

Same old bookworm.

Maka giggled and told him to get his shark-toothed ass moving and get her some soup, as she was more than a little bit lightheaded. Soul obediently hurried out of the doorway, and sprinted to the kitchen. Maka smiled weakly as his shadow disappeared, but the smile dropped as soon as he was out of sight.

Ah, yeah. This was a problem.

A_ major_ one.

Maka narrowed her eyes and thought hard. What would happen now? If he couldn't stop from biting her of all people, someone whom he actually put up with, what the hell would happen if felt "hungry," as he had put it, around someone whom he did not particularly like, such as Hiro or her father?

Ah, but if that person was still stronger than Soul, they shouldn't have much problem, right? Despite her best efforts, Spirit was still leagues ahead of her partner. So, he was safe. But what if someone who was much weaker than Soul pissed him off? Maybe a normal person, someone with no protective training?

Would he kill them?

No, of course not. This was Soul, after all. He wouldn't do something like that, would he? He wasn't a loose cannon, well, usually. He could control himself if he wasn't hungry, right?

But, fighting off Soul's new hunger required blood, and if her current condition was any hint, a lot of it. How often would he need to feed off of her? It would be her, no one else. For whatever strange reason, Maka felt ill when she thought about Soul feeding off of someone else. If he needed to eat every day, er, night, she wouldn't be able to keep up. And besides, who else would give their blood to be eaten by a hungry weapon?

Ha.

Maka actually laughed a little bit there. Maybe it was the blood loss, but suddenly, Soul being a weapon that literally craved blood was very funny. Hehe. Ha.

But back to more serious matters, what exactly was Soul now? A vampire? Or could he be something even more frightening and dark?

Were all myths about vampires true? Would Soul be allergic to sunlight now? Were wooden stakes, silver, and fire the only things that could kill him now. Could he eat normal food? What was that druggy feeling? Was it...

"Maka?" Soul appeared in the doorway, holding a steaming bowl, and jolting Maka out of her musings. "Here's your soup. Chicken Noodle's all we had."

"That's fine," she answered absentmindedly, accepting the soup from him and noting that it smelled amazing. Yeah, Soul always was a better cook than she was, even with from-the-can anything. But, any time he baked, it was awful. Maka blew on a spoonful and swallowed it, the tasty salty liquid refreshing.

Yup, she was feeling much better already.

Soul awkwardly went to the side of his bed and sat down, keeping a respectful distance from his partner. Maka ignored him and continued to scarf down her soup at a rate that would have shocked even Black*Star. The white-haired boy kept his gaze to the floor, idly noting that it was time for him to do laundry; socks were everywhere. A clink of the metal spoon hitting the edge of the bowl as Maka put it down alerted him that she was down. A long silence followed.

"What did it taste like?" Maka was the one to break the silence between them.

"Huh?" was Soul's intelligent response.

Maka rolled her eyes. "The blood, dumbass. You certainly seemed like you were enjoying yourself. I'm not a buffet, by the way."

Soul growled softly at her. "Y'know, I wasn't the only one enjoying themselves," he groused.

Maka gaped. Well, yeah, she kind of had been enjoying herself for quite a bit there. Maybe a little more than she should have, if the situation between her legs was anything to judge by. "Yeah, but I wasn't eating you."

"Point taken."

"But you're avoiding the question." Maka narrowed his eyes, and Soul swallowed nervously. "What did it taste like, Soul?"

Soul closed his eyes briefly and looked at her apprehensively. "You won't like the answer," he warned.

"I assure you, I'm prepared."

Soul took a deep breath and sighed; he was stalling, and he knew it. He looked her in the eyes as he began, "Maka, it was indescribable, but I'll try." He leaned forward, getting in front of her to look in her green orbs. "The taste was what blood normally tastes like. It wasn't sweet, more salty, but there was something so much deeper to it. It was rich, and almost spicy, but not, at the same time." He leaned closer, their faces just barely apart now, his breath mixing with hers. "It was like looking at the stars on a warm night, with just a cool breeze to keep you company. It was like knowing you're in a lover's thoughts. It was like listening to a perfect piece of music, every second inspiring."

He stared into her eyes, never breaking eye contact, and he whispered, quietly, so softly, so gently, that she almost missed it. His breath gently breezed over her face, rustling the few blonde flyaway hairs. It smelled coppery.

"It was like knowing that the person you love, loves you back."

Maka's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Soul's pale lips softly touching hers. Her eyes widened further as Soul pressed against her gently, softly, waiting for her approval; it was a soft, caring, kiss, one that Soul poured all of his love for her into. His eyes were closed, not watching to see her reaction.

Instead, he felt it.

Maka kissed back, softly at first, but quickly growing more demanding. She felt her eyes get warm and wet, and she blinked, trying, and failing, to keep the tears from flowing.

Soul, he loved her.

Loved her back.

Soul was the one to break the kiss, pulling away from Maka's soft lips. He looked at her, and embraced his meister, carefully kissing away the few stray tears. He smiled, and she smiled back, hiccuping softly.

"You idiot."

"What? Me?" Soul laughed and poked Maka's nose. Maka growled. "Ah, yeah." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. Maka glowered some more, and then her expression got too innocent.

"Maka?" Soul asked, quickly growing wary.

"Uh... Maka?"

"MAKA-CHOP!"

A book decided to collide with Soul's skull with surprising force.

"Ouch! Dammit..." he sighed, rubbing his head. "I guess I deserved that one..."

"Ya think?" Maka quipped.

"Yeah..." Soul looked at her, and she glared at him for a while, the two of the them having a staring contest. They held each other's glare for a while, neither willing to give ground, until the corners of Maka's lips twitched, before she broke off into a beaming grin and clear, crystalline laugh.

"I think I've loved you for longer than I think."

"Me too." Soul smiled back at her. Maka beamed at him and pulled him down to her. She yawned, waving a hand in front of her mouth.

"As fun as all this has been," she paused, and yawned again, "we have school tomorrow, and we need to get your dumb ass checked out, too. Not to mention, your midnight snack isn't the best reason to wake up in the middle of the night."

Soul briefly frowned. She hadn't meant it to hurt, but it did all the same, he winced inside, but hugged her back. "Yeah, let's sleep." He hugged her closer.

And she hugged him back.

* * *

You guys can blame Ed Sheeran for the fluff.


End file.
